Opening a bottle of Champagne (or any other sparkling wine) can be a fun and celebratory experience, but it's important to do it safely and correctly because you want to preserve as many of those beautiful bubbles for your glass because you paid for them!
Chill the champagne: Before opening, make sure the champagne is well-chilled. The best way is a nice ice bath with 50% water and 50% ice for 20 minutes. This helps reduce the pressure inside the bottle and minimizes the risk of it foaming over when opened - unless you are the Chiefs and just won the super bowl!
Remove the foil and loosen the wire cage covering the cork. Hold the cork firmly with one hand while twisting the bottle's base with the other hand.
Keep your hand firmly over the cork, applying gentle pressure to prevent it from popping out unexpectedly.
Angle the bottle: Hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from yourself and others, pointing it away from anything breakable or delicate.
Slowly twist the bottle: While maintaining a firm grip on the cork, slowly twist the bottle, not the cork. The pressure inside the bottle will gradually push the cork out with a gentle hiss rather than a loud pop. Again, you want to preserve those bubbles for your glass!
ENJOY!
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